HMS Anne was a seaplane carrier of the Royal Navy, originally built as the German merchant ship Aenne Rickmers in 1911 by Rickmers of Bremerhaven. The vessel was seized in Port Said, Egypt, at the outbreak of World War I in August 1914 and requisitioned by the British in January 1915, operating as a seaplane carrier during the war. She was not heavily modified for her role; aircraft were stored on the aft hatch covers and handled with cargo booms, with her primary armament being a 12-pounder gun added later. Measuring 367 feet 1 inch (111.89 meters) in length with a beam of 47 feet 7 inches (14.5 meters) and a draught of 27 feet 3 inches (8.31 meters), Anne had a gross register tonnage of 4,083 GRT. Powered by a single triple-expansion steam engine driving one propeller shaft, she was fueled by coal-fired boilers, with a maximum speed of 11 knots (20 km/h). Her propulsion system was modest, reflecting her merchant origins. During her service from mid-1915, HMS Anne conducted reconnaissance, observation, and bombing missions across the Eastern Mediterranean and Red Sea. She operated French and British aircraft, including Nieuport VI.H floatplanes and Short Type 184, Sopwith Schneider, and Baby floatplanes, supporting Allied operations such as coastal bombardments, reconnaissance, and troop evacuations. Notably, she played a role in observing bombardments of Turkish positions, capturing Ruad Island, and supporting Arab Revolt activities. Anne's aircraft suffered losses during missions over Beersheba and other targets, but her aircraft made over 118 flights by early 1916. She also encountered enemy aircraft and U-boat threats, including an attack from German planes and the discovery of a U-boat base near Kastellorizo. She was decommissioned in late 1917, after which she served as a collier under the Red Ensign until 1918. Post-war, she was sold in 1922 to Greek interests, renamed Ithaki, and subsequently changed hands and names several times, including Moldova and Jagharat, before being scrapped in Hong Kong in 1958.

This description has been generated using GPT-4.1-NANO based on the Vessel's wikidata information and then modified by ShipIndex.org staff.